#325 2001 Albums: Readers Pick Their Obscure Favorites
Hey folks!
A week ago, in preparation for the upcoming Best Album of 2001 tournament, I provided a list of the 17 albums I considered the best of 2001 that I’d been listening to for the last ~24 years. (You can find that list here.) This last week on Bluesky, I asked readers to DM me one album that they loved and thought was obscure. Below are the results. I haven’t vetted any of these, though I plan to listen to all of them in the next week or so. Each album will have Spotify and YouTube links (or the equivalent), plus what genre the album is according to Wikipedia, and random comments from the YouTube page, or other places, depending. If the person who nominated the album had comments, I put them there as well, and sometimes I (Kent) had something to say. I encourage you to give all of these a sampling (say, 3 tracks) if not a full listen. Part of the joy of Best Album Brackets is finding a new favorite, and you can’t do that if you don’t get out there and take a chance.
PLEASE NOTE: Some of these YouTube playlists have one of those unaffiliated 57 minute “Unreleased” tracks inserted in the middle of them. Do you know what I’m talking about? What the fuck even are those? Anyway, be aware of that. I would suggest using Spotify or another streaming service of your choice whenever possible.
Next week, I’ll reveal my 2001 favorites that I just discovered in the last couple months, including (as of this writing), the two albums that got a LOVE rating (my highest possible rating) after a single listen. (That doesn’t happen often.)
Without further ado, the Readers’ Choices:
Arch Enemy, WAGES OF SIN (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: melodic death metal
“One of the best Melodic Death Metal albums of all time!”
“I remember when i first heard this i was about 15. It blew my mind. Still does”
“Now this is some good s*** right here God I miss her vocals”
Boom Boom Satellites, UMBRA (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: electronica, rock
The Nominator Sez: “definitely obscure, definitely worth the listen.”
“Ahead of it time...pure gold”
“Damn this is sick”
Kofy Brown, AREA 32 (Spotify, YouTube, Bandcamp)
Genre: from her Bandcamp page: “[a] unique style of soul, rock, blues & funk”
Kent Sez: This one is so obscure that neither she nor the album has a Wikipedia presence, and no writeups on Pitchfork or Stereogum. Her YouTube comments are turned off, so no help there. If you’re gonna start anywhere, I’d say start here!
Constantines, CONSTANTINES (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: indie rock, alternative rock
Kent Sez: I know this one! I much prefer the follow-up, SHINE A LIGHT, but it’s good. And I think the band can best be described as if Bruce Springsteen fronted Fugazi. (Not an original description.)
Pitchfork review, 8.7: “Guelph, Ontario's The Constantines are constant teens, too. And when their music isn't capturing the goofy sweetness teenagers can share when they let their guard down, it captures the drama, anguish, artsy pretension and urgency of youth. They carry the torch for Fugazi with heart and muscle. Bassist Dallas Wehrle's pulsing eighth notes ground dynamic mathematical riffs, with the players dropping in and out to shock the repetitions.”
Firewater, PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: indie rock
“this album and ponzi scheme are just brilliant works”
“God bless Tod A.”
“Firewater are an amazing band. One of the best. If they weren't all drug addicts or in prison, they would be huge. Just kidding. They should be huge anyway. ( ps I don't really know their personal history). BUT DAMN THEY ARE GOOD.”
Robbie Fulks, COUPLES IN TROUBLE (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: alternative country, bluegrass
Review from The Music Box: “Couples in Trouble is a concept album of sorts with each song telling the story of a relationship in turmoil, and in striking some new
creative mechanisms, Fulks did not choose an easy way of exploring standard boy-girl problems. Instead, he tells the tales of a father and son living in poverty in Real Money and a girl with her mother's evil husband in the creepy, Brenda's New Step-Father. These are not deeply personal songs, but rather are literary ones, musical novellas in which Fulks assumes the role of the protagonist - a mature songwriting technique perfected by like-minded artists such as Randy Newman.”
Gotan Project, LA REVANCHA DEL TANGO (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: electronica, tango, nu jazz
Kent Sez: So good, it was nominated by two different people!
“It's 2025 and this album still slaps”
“I listened to this while in labour with my first child. She's 22 now.”
“EXCELENTES MUSICOS Y CANTANTES¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ORGULLO ARGENTINO¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡”
Margo Guryan, 25 DEMOS (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: Baroque pop, sunshine pop, jazz
Kent Sez: Two things. First, my understanding is that these songs date back to ~1968. That’s not an issue in terms of Best Album eligibility; I let in Bob Dylan’s THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL 4: LIVE 1966, THE “ROYAL ALBERT HALL” CONCERT for the 1998 tournament. (I hate to mention shit like this, but I’d be dead before we ever reached 1966, or even 1968, for a proper Best Albums tournament.) Second, 25 DEMOS was released in 2001, and then 27 DEMOS was released in 2014. 27 DEMOS is the only one I can find online, and I think it’s the just the same album, just with two extra demos. (Two years later came 29 DEMOS, so either they keep finding extra demos or this lady had a huge backlog.)
“I'm listening to it after years yet it feels like I'm listening to it for the first time. The nostalgia it always gives me, can't be expressed in words.”
“Sesame Street may have ripped her off, not the other way around.”
“Only the real ones know how amazing this womens music is”
Hem, RABBIT SONGS (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: country, folk
The Nominator Sez: someone on an Oasis message board at the time recommended [it]
“reminds me of visiting my grandparents in Virginia... I adore this”
“I lovvvve that voice!”
“When I was a high school exchange student in Japan, I came down with a bad case of homesickness. which was greatly relieved when somebody brought out a map of my hometown (Los Angeles). Somehow, just seeing the map grounded me again...which is what I remember when I sing this song [Half Acre]”
Illogic, GOT LYRICS? (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: hip hop
“How tf is this guy not famous, shit is heat”
“I don't get it. This is real hip-hop getting slept on….”
“fucking awesome”
Jan Jelinek, LOOP-FINDING-JAZZ-RECORDS (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: IDM, ambient, glitch
The Nominator Sez: a personal favourite of mine from 2001
“its amazing someone could make something like this its so delicate I feel like if I stop listening for a second it will fall apart or disappear”
“this album is the sound of exactly 55 minutes after you dosed and you just realized the trees are moving, but like, really moving.”
“you know when you're listening to a great microhouse record because its very barebones yet it sounds SO complete and fullfilling”
Kings of Convenience, QUIET IS THE NEW LOUD (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: indie pop
The Nominator Sez: one of my favorite 2001 albums and I’m not sure if it’s one that gets any attention
“You do not have a bad album. Every track is carefully crafted with some sort of story to gift. even your early work, here, is well wrought, true, and because of that mature, despite your youth.”
“I listened to this album in 2001 and I still listen to it… the harmony, the arrangement... make me cry”
“You can’t compare this kind of music to anything!”
The Kiss Offs, ROCK BOTTOM (YouTube)
Genre: No wiki page, so after listening to the first song, I’m going with “soft garage.” It rocks, but it’s not going to try and take your head off like, say, The Hives.
The Nominator Sez: Everyone should hear it!
Review from The Vinyl District: “When it comes to testifying to the power and glory of rock’n'roll, very few bands have topped The Kiss Offs on their sophomore LP, 2001's Rock Bottom. It's a veritable love letter to the “sweet, sweet, sweet rock'n'roll" in which they place their "faith, love, and hope," as they sing in "Broken Fingers for Talented Singers,” which they dedicate to "young girls age 10 to 21/Singing screaming the words to 'Born to Run.’”
Labradford, FIXED::CONTEXT (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: post-rock, ambient
“Not weird music. Amazing music”
Lost Sounds, BLACK-WAVE (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: Synth punk, garage punk, art punk
Review from Pitchfork [8.2]: “Black Wave’s cover image— the band running through empty city streets, fleeing a sinister alien force looming overhead—suggests 9/11 paranoia, but the terror within is more psychological: Trout’s throat-shredding screed “I’m Not a Machine” sounds like a prescient rallying cry against encroaching technocracy, while Lindsey repeats the title of the electro-shocked “Do You Wanna Kill Me” with the blood-curdling hysteria of a young Black Francis.”
Scott Miller & the Commonwealth, THUS ALWAYS TO TYRANTS (YouTube)
Genre: alternative country
The Nominator Sez: on the rocking side of twang. "I Won't Go With You" is pretty great for sure.
Review from The Austin Chronicle: “Thus Always to Tyrants is packed with one well-crafted song after another; some come at you like a punch to the head, a couple more buzz with a lighter touch yet are equally effecting.”
Neotropic, LA PROCHAINE FOIS (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: No wiki, but bouncing around the album, seems to be electronic sans vocals, with a lot of (sampled?) acoustic instruments. Mellow.
“Great album!!!!!!”
“Once upon a time..... everything was finished when the android came.....these times will never be the same good as it was…..”
Ozma, ROCK AND ROLL PART THREE (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: Indie pop, power pop, geek rock, emo pop
Kent Sez: Released in 2000, but then re-released in 2001.
“Genuinely one of the greatest rock albums of all time. Every track is amazing. 11/10 album from me, easily in my top 10.”
“Praying that Weezer's 20th album sounds just like this”
“This is such an underrated album. My Dad introduced me to this band when I was like 9. I'm only 5 years older now but I can't help but make old connections to this band. After all I was like 2 months old when he took to a show of theirs. And to be honest I almost cry every time I hear Natalie Portman, Even my dad said it touched him the first time he heard it. Would love to see this get more love.”
“Pinkerton 2: Revenge of the Sexual Frustration”
The Photon Band, ALONE ON THE MOON (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: Indie rock, psychedelic, noise pop
The Nominator Sez: downer banger… probably hits a few sweet spots for our cohort
Review from Exclaim! (I have no idea what is being said here): “The 18-minute opener sparked intrigue; what could these ace retro popsters be crafting? Would it restore the glory of '98s All Young in the Soul? Still present is the Photon's embrace of rock heritage as a foundation, but dusty folk is caked on this shadow at the CD bar. Though the vocals help dispel a parishioner's fears of the end of the line, it is really up to the guitar dialogue to illuminate the path; as picked and slide guitars go a-wandering, their lingering strands braid a golden rail. This band is consistently putting out lifting tunes, this time round they substitute kicking drums with the drip-drop of a leaky roof.”
Pinback, BLUE SCREEN LIFE (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: indie rock
“Grew up on this. My parents would have this on repeat so they can memorize the words for when they saw them in concert. Im 25 now and still listen to them because of my parents bringing me up with it.”
“Blue Screen Life is the only album EVER where I have loved every single song on it. A timeless masterpiece…”
“One of the best uses of vocals as an instrument, the harmony it brings synchronizes with the rest of the instruments so fluidly. They possess such a beautiful consistency that fluctuates enough per song to keep things interesting. My new favourite band <3”
Res, HOW I DO (original) (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: soul, pop, rock, post-punk, neo soul
Kent Sez: It says “original” because apparently Res released HOW I DO (RESET) in 2024, which… might be a re-recording? I don’t know. Also, I just found out that Res is one half of Idle Warship, a collaboration with Talib Kweli of Black Star. I really like this song of theirs, that samples Daft Punk and features, of all people, nerdcore rapper MC Chris.
“This is one lady who's music and this album did not get exactly what it truly deserved for her as an artist. And a great band along with her. How I do is a real true diamond.”
“Santigold writing, her whole style shines here..ahead of it's time!”
“Just put her cd back into the car. Whole album is a vibe.”
Skitz, COUNTRYMAN (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: UK hip hop
The Nominator Sez: a UK hip hop (not grime!) producer drawing on the entire UK scene for this compilation, the only guy on it who got at all famous is Roots Manuva I think
“This album. These tunes. They will live forever. Because my kids will grow up listening to these legends.”
“Still listening in 2025. Countryman is an all-timer.”
“opened my eyes to some real women rapping! Respect to y'all! Peace”
Tracy + The Plastics, MUSCLER’S GUIDE TO VIDEONICS (Spotify, YouTube, Download [thanks to Rena])
Genre: electropop
Kent Sez: I’m told that the YouTube is missing a track, which should be on the download provided.
The Nominator Sez (quoting Wikipedia): "Although the name implied the group was made up of a lead singer and back up musicians, all three characters were performed by Wynne Greenwood, a lesbian feminist artist using video projection, who calls herself a representative of the 'lesbo for disco' generation."
All Music Guide: “Olympia, WA's Wynne Greenwood is the brain behind the brilliant one-woman band Tracy & the Plastics. As a video art outfit that combines lo-fi filmmaking, performance art, Devo-styled songs, and feminist and queer politics, Tracy & the Plastics is one of the most innovative and exhilarating projects to emerge since Le Tigre's multimedia debut in 1999. On her excellent and truly jarring debut, Muscler's Guide to Videonics, Greenwood comes off as a Need-inspired provocateur of the self-described "lesbo for disco" generation, sing-talking and shrieking her way through a sci-fi soundtrack of herky-jerky, twitch-inducing songs.”
Akira Yamaoka, SILENT HILL 2 (ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK) (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: video game soundtrack, industrial, trip hop, dark ambient, alternative rock
“This soundtrack feels like when you tried your best and you don't care what happens anymore.”
“That's for sure the music of the Purgatory, not terrifying but still too unsettling for heaven.”
“Man, I get such an apocalyptic vibe listening to this, it's like I'm the last living being trying to find someone lost in the fog.”
“Why does this sound so beautiful.”
BONUS BEATS!
Jaber, “Quero Ficar Com Você” [“I Want to Be With You”] (2025) (Spotify, YouTube)
Genre: indie rock
One of Best Album’s followers is a musician from São Paulo, Brazil, and he asked if I could highlight one of his tracks. So here it is! It’s good, got an earnest, rock n’ roll vibe. Give it a listen.
Okay, I think that’s enough outta me. I hope you take the time to check out some of these. See you tomorrow for the next Best Album of 1989 match.
Kent